Saint-Nazaire: French commandos board the tanker “BORACAY”

Yesterday off Saint-Nazaire, French special forces boarded the tanker BORACAY (formerly Pushpa), a vessel linked to the so-called shadow fleet used to circumvent sanctions on Russian oil. Two crew members, who identified themselves as captain and first officer, were detained after refusing to cooperate and to prove the ship’s nationality; the Brest prosecutor’s office has opened a formal investigation.

President Macron called the operation “positive” and linked the ship to the network of shadow tankers used to bypass European bans: according to Paris, BORACAY had departed Primorsk on September 20 and was immobilized off the French Atlantic coast.

The case comes after days of European concern about drone flights reported over Denmark and northern Germany; some outlets suggested that elements of the shadow fleet could have been used as launch or support platforms. French authorities, however, remain cautious for now about any direct link to BORACAY.

At the same time, a Dassault Falcon 50 of the French Navy was tracked in the area. From the ADS-B data available, the missing segment (gap) of the track is much longer than the time it would normally take to fly it in a straight line. This is consistent with a loiter/orbit phase over the target, typical of maritime surveillance missions (based on our analysis of the trace shown in the attached image).

The Falcon 50M/SURMAR is a modified aircraft for maritime patrol, equipped with surface search radar, retractable IR optronics, an operator station, and observation windows. It is used for monitoring merchant traffic, countering illicit activities, SAR, and supporting naval operations. Dassault’s special mission Falcon family is designed for these roles, and the type is progressively being replaced by the new Falcon 2000 “Albatros” ordered for the Aéronavale.

According to tracking data and press reports, after rounding Brittany the BORACAY was shadowed by French units and then anchored off Saint-Nazaire, where checks on the vessel’s flag, registration, and ownership are still ongoing.